No our last government openly destroying power generation assets...

First 9 Last

Share
Profile

Follow
primetime23

688 Posts.

07/01/19

10:30

Post #: 37042354
Share

Originally posted by Orson: ↑

Some great background posts there, RedCedar.

I agree that nuclear was the correct option in the decades of transitioning to renewable energy in SA. In the 2000s nuclear generation infrastructure was more advanced than renewable storage infrastructure. The lack of political will to create a viable energy policy then will hamper the state for a few more years yet, but the current multi-pronged approach is an improvement. As can be seen by the success of the Tesla battery in the FCAS market.

SA's disastrous privatisation of electricity in the 1990s and lack of control over its major gas resource, gas, create an incentive for the major players who run the markets to price gouge and game the system. That's the other main problem, not coal or a lack thereof.

1920s baseload coal tech has had its day and is utterly un-investable. The smart money is in storage. (Newer, more flexible, low-emission generation using coal that doesn't have to run 24/7 may prove economically viable one day, but that's a tough ask when renewables are getting so cheap.)

What I like about your background posts is a more visionary approach to how all infrastructure projects can interconnect to develop the country. We need more of that thinking. Let's dream big, like when we built the Snowy.

Expand

No our last government openly destroying power generation assets and foisting the green deal on us is what put us in this place.

Be careful who people listen to when it comes to the success of the battery, it's just another money sink into our craptacular grid from the last group of mongs. The best bit about SA is that the incoming government had the easiest energy policy victory in the world and decided their policy would be basically the same except slightly less aggressive and then they wonder why power prices are up shit creek and continue to head that way. In SA power prices id destroying the lower/middle income way of life, it's just now impossible for some to pay the bills.
2 Upvote

Reply